Impacts of Climate Change, Vulnerability and Adaptation

Consequences of climate change are already felt in all parts of the world. Measures to cope with these need to cover sectors such as water management, agriculture and nutrition, energy, transport, housing, forestry, coastal zone management and fishery, biodiversity, natural disasters, conflicts, and risk management.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) provides for measures to cope with, and adapt to, these adverse impacts, and developed countries are expected to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable. The Kyoto Protocol stipulates that a share of the proceeds from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) activities are to be used to assist vulnerable developing countries with adaptation. Later on, this share was defined to amount to 2%.

In 2005, at COP12 in Nairobi, a five-year work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change was launched. It covers natural scientific issues, socio-economic issues and adaptation planning and practices.

Three specific funds are to finance adaptation activities, operated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF):

• The Adaptation Fund, supplied by the 2% share of proceeds from the CDM and supervised by an Adaptation Fund Board (AFB), is to finance adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
• The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) ), established in 2001 under the Convention,  are to assist Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to prepare and implement national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs), and to finance among others, adaptation projects.

The effects of climate change affect women and men differently. Vulnerability is not only related to environmental forces, but to social conditions, too. Thus, it is not countries that are more or less vulnerable, but certain fractions of their population. Due to their low capacity to adapt, the poor are the most vulnerable group. Women, with their disproportionate share of the poor, are therefore among the most vulnerable groups.

The social roles and responsibilities of women lead to a higher degree of dependence on the natural environment. Due to climate change, their work burden for family care, such as collecting water and fire wood, is increasing.

Women are facing higher risks during and after disaster. They have less access to information such as early warnings, due to inequitable distribution of aid they may receive less resources, and moreover, they are may be subject to sexual violence.

Women’s knowledge of natural resources, and their common responsibilities in households and communities can be crucial for adaptation and disaster management.

Acknowledge women’s role in adaptation, and ensure the full participation of women in planning and decision–making. In particular, integrate gender analysis into National Adaptation Plans (NAPAs) and ensure that these are closely linked to the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), integrating poverty alleviation and income diversification.

Prepare adaptation plans at regional and local levels, as they can be better tailored towards local realities and are more likely to include women’s participation. Design gender sensitive adaptation policies and measures.

Design and carry out gender–sensitive capacity building programmes drawing on priorities of women and local communities.

Enhance women’s access to land and control over natural resources to make better use of their knowledge and enhance their possibilities to mitigate disasters and cope with climate change.

Improve women’s access to information, such as disaster warnings and longer–term changes in weather patterns, and ensure that rural women and women who have been denied the right to education are not excluded, and take into consideration that women and men use different information channels

Provide additional funds to cover the costs of adaptation for countries with vulnerable populations that lack the resources to cope with the impacts, and ensure that women and the poor benefit for these funds.